Thermostatic switch and automobile heater control circuits



April 7, 1942. wlNNlNG 2278;629

THERMOSTATIC SWITCH AND AUTOMOBILE HEATER CONTROL CIRCUITS Filed Oct. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7 V! I jiff 6 I 5v I is? 49 EV 5/ 55 M J INVENTOR.

ZQASERFA. WINNING- BY M, W v4.64

ATTORNEYi April 1942- R. K. WINNING 2,278,629

THERMOSTATIC SWITCH AND AUTOMOBILE HEATER CONTROL CIRCUITS Filed Oct. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A'ITORNEYJ,

RCUI'I'S R. K. WINNING April 7 1942.

5 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Oct. 24, 1938 INVENTOR.

fioaserk. Maw/N2 VII/d Patented Apr. 7, 1 942 vTHERMOS'IATIC SWITCH AND AUTOMOBILE HEATER CONTROL CIRCUITS Robert K. Winning, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Clum Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 24, 1938, Serial No. 236,615

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thermostatic switches and automobile heater control circuits.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel and simple arrangement, particularly adapted for the control of an automobile heater thermostatically in accordance with the temperature in the interior of the automobile.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thermostatic device and circuit which controls a heater switch without the use of variable resistances but wherein a fixed resistance is automatically cut in or out of the circuit as required under the control of a dual thermostat adjustabl to function at differing temperatures as desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and improved type of switch in which a simple and inexpensive organization serves both for the manual switch control and the automatic thermostatic control of. a heater circuit. The more specific objectives having to do with the detailed organization of the apparatus will be developed in the course of the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view of my improved thermostatic switch in longitudinal section.

Figure 2 is a view of the apparatus in plan.

Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus in front elevation.

Figure 4 is a view of the apparatus in rear elevation.

Figure 5 is a view showing in perspective the various parts constituting the rotor of the apparatus as such partsappear when separated from each other.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of a modified electrical circuit and including a modified control mechanism, portions of which are illustrated in side elevation. .7

Figure 8 is a view principally in side elevation and partially in longitudinal section showing a further modified embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 shows a further modified thermostatic appliance in side elevation, the connections thereto being diagrammatically illustrated.

Figure l0 -is a fragmentary view, showing in side elevation a still further modified embodiment of the invention, the connections thereto being diagrammatically illustrated.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail View, in plan,

. to provide a seat for the bracket IS. The bracket of the terminal portion of the device shown in Figure 10.

Like parts are identified by the same referncecharacters throughout the several views.

The device is adapted for single hole mounting. It includes a bushing at 8 and an interior bearing surface for the rotor and externally threaded to receive the clamping nuts 9 and III which are shown in Figure 1 engaged with the apertured panel through which the bushing 8 extends.

At its rear end the bushing 8 is shouldered is apertured to engage the reduced portion of the bushing and the aforesaid bushing portion is upset at H; to rivet the bracket permanently to the bushing. Th portion of the bracket so connected with the bushing has an upstanding flange II with which the base l8 and side flanges l9 and 20 are integrally connected.

The rotor which turns within the bushing 8 is assembled upon the lamp socket member 2| which is made of light metal in a generally tubular form in three diameters, being shouldered at 22 and 220. It is provided at 23 with the usual bayonet slot for the bayonet pin 24 of a conventional lamp 25, the base of which fits within the intermediate portion of the socket member 2|. A washer 2G internally apertured at 260 supports the head 21 of the tubular bolt 28 within which the compression spring 29 acts on the plunger 3|) which engages the central contact of the lamp.

Spring 29 is maintained under compression by the screw 3| with which the tubular bolt 28 is threadedly engaged to maintain the parts in assembly.

The smallest diametered portion of the lamp socket 2| is notched at 33. Fitted within the notch is the boss 36 of the insulating disk 35, such boss being provided with lugs at 36 engaged within the notches 33 to key the dielectric member 35 to the lamp socket member 2| "for rotation therewith.

The spring washer 31 engaged by the head of screw 3| holds to the rear face of the dielectric member 35 a metal cam 38, having a flat side at 38 and provided integrally at Ill with a projection received into the aperture ll of dielectric member 35 to constrain the cam to rotate with the disk and the lamp socket member. The dielectric disk bears against the end of bushing 8, and the spring washer 31 takes up all play in maintaining the parts taut against rattle and accidental rotatlve displacement.

Motion is transmitted to the cam through the lamp socket member by a handle which com prises a hollow metal fitting t2, notched at it to receive the key N which integral with the lamp socket member. The metal fitting 42 is also apertured at 5 to receive the protuberance M which is pressed out of the lamp socket memher to constitute a detent for holding the handle in assembly thereon.

At end the handle member 2 is flanged outwardly and a bezel ring 41,, over the flange. holds a three-ply head in. place at the end oi the handle. The inner ply W may constitute a transparent colored member which may be made of colored celluloid or other transparent, colored plastics. The disk shown at 49 constitutes a stencil which may have an opening at ill in the form of an, arrow or other figure to expose the colored ply" 18 when the light shines therethrough. Over these two plies a window ply 5|, preferably lens shaped. which is likewise transparent and may be made of glass or plastic through which the aperture 5%) of the stencil is visible, as shown in the colored light transmitted through the colored ply 48 when the lamp is in operation.

The handle as a whole is readily detachable from the lamp socket member to permit lamp replacement, but when in place thereon, as shown, it will positively transmit rotative movement fromthe handle through the lamp socket member to the cam 38.

Insulated from the base portion ll of the bracket [5 is a terminal 55 to which the contact spring 56 is connected. This spring is biased for upward movement to the full extent permitted by engagement of its end with the cam ll. The cam ll has a helical periphery from the relatively short radius portion 51 toward the relatively long radius portion 58. Thus, the rotation of the handle in the manner above described will move the end of contact spring 56 upwardly and downwardly according to the rotative position of the handle.

Likewise insulated from. the bracket is a bimetallic thermostatic element i provided with a terminal at GI and having its free and enga ed with the insulating disk W as a stop which limits the upward movement or the bi-metallic thermostatic element in response to temperature reduction. From this stop, constituted by the inculatlng disk 3!, the free end of the bi-metallic bar ll will move downwardly with an increase in temperature from the predetermined minimum at which the bar will commence to move. Contact spring I carries a contact .2. The bimetallic element ll carries a co-acting contact 88. When the rotatlve position of cm a is such that its flat under surface 85 engages spring 5 the contacts I! and I3 will be separated.

As the cam is rotated by the handle, the spring 56 will be deflected until contact 02 engages contact II to close a circuit between terminals El and Cl. This will open the hot water valve or start the fan motor, according to the connections employed. and the heating operation will continue until the heat is such as to warp the bimetallic bar 60 downwardly, thereby moving contact 08 away from contact 81 and thus interrupt the heat circuit.

According to the rotative position of the cm the heating switch, comprising contacts I! and SI, will open at any desired temperature within the range of the device. The greater the radius of the peripheral portion of the cam, which is engaged with spring 56, the higher will he the temperature at which the contact points will separate.

lhe connections to the device may be such that the 25 will be illuminated whenever the contacts 62 and G3 are engaged, the lamp being extinguished whenever such contacts separate. lime. in Figure 6 I have shown a circuit in which the hattery M has one sid grounded and the other side connected to the bi metallic bar 50. The stop engaged by the free end of the bar is the dielectric disk so that no current is communicated from the bar until the contacts 52 and 63 are engaged. At that time a circuit is completed not only to the heating motor or other appliances G8 and thence to ground, but, in addition. a contact is completed through the metallic cam 36, a bolt 21, and pin 30 to the central pole of the lamp 25, the base of which is grounded through the lamp socket member 20 and the panel ll.

Figure '7 shows an alternative arrangement employing a supplemental iii-metallic bar at 10 intervening between the iii-metallic bar and the spring 58. The disk 350 in such a case is modified to provide a separate shoulder at "H to be engaged as a stop by the free end of the bimctallic bar 10. In this instance also the heat ing device is typified by a motor at 68 which may be assumed to operate in the usual way to drive a fan in the heating radiator casing 61, the radiator core in such casing (not shown) being supplied with hot water through pipe. 88 and provided with a return through pipe 69.

This arrangement is devised to shutoff the current automatically when the vehicle engine is not in operation, or, for some other reason, the water supplied through pipe 68 becomes chilled. A separate thermostatic switch is pro vided at 12, and the entire arrangement is connectcd to battery through the ignition switch II which supplies the ignition coil 14. When the ignition switch is closed the current passes to motor I and thence to spring 5. Unless spring I is deflected by the control cam 38 as previously described the motor will not operate, but if the spring 58 is deflected to close the circult to the intermediate bi-metallic bar III the circuit will then be closed through the motor to ground. provided the thermostatic switch 12 is closed. Until the water is warm, however. the thermostatic switch 12 will remain open. Consequently, regardless of the temperatures to which thermostatic bar III may be subject, the fan of the heater I! will not start until the water is sufliciently warm to make the fan eflective for heating.

When it does start, it will operat at a relatively low speed because of the resistance incorporatcd in the clrcuitat II, but if the cam 3! is rotated to its extreme position it will close the circuit not only to the intermediate bl-metallic bar at 18, but, by physically deflecting such bar, it will close the circuit to the bi-metallic bar I! which is 50 connected as to cut out resistance I5.

Thus, where a substantial increase in temperature is desired the fan will operate at full speed.

The construction shown in Figure 8 is essentially identical in principle to that shown in Figures 1 to 6. 'Ihe bi-metallic bar 6|, however, carries nocurrent, being fully isolated from contact ll by the intervening dielectric washer at 11. In this construction the terminal BI is provided with a contact spring at El, on which the contact '8 is mounted to be engaged by con- 2,278,629 tact 62 of spring I. in the manner above described. When the temperature rises the bimetallic bar 60 pulls the spring 68 by means of yoke 19 to separate contacts 63 and 62, thereby opening the circuit. The spring washer and screws 31 and 3|, as above described, may be omitted and in lieu thereof an ordinary washer 8] is engaged by a rivet head 8| which replaces the screw.

In the construction shown, in Figure 9, the battery 65 supplies current to the spring arm 68. The cam 38 first forces spring arm 56 downwardly to close the circuit through contacts 62 and 630 to energize the fan motor 66. The continued operation of the cam forces both spring arms 56 cated at 83 to open such valve to permit the heat-- ing liquid to flow through pipe 58.

When the temperature is raised sufliciently the bi-metallic bar 60 will move to open the circuit controlling the solenoid valve and will allow such valve to be closed. As is usual in such valves, the valve is self closing, and is held open only when energized.

The spring arm 84 has no function other than to engage the washer 80 to energize the pilot light within the handle. In this instance the washer 80 is insulated from cam 38 by means of an interposed dielectric disk' at 85. The spring arm 84 is connected in parallel with the'circuit whic energized the solenoid valve 83.

Y In the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11 the resistance coil I5 is connected between the bi-metallic bar 60 and the spring arm 88. As in the construction shown in Figure 9, the spring arm 58 is acted on by the cam and serves simply as a switch, cam controlled in the initial rotation of the knob, to close the circuit to the motor 56 through contacts and 630. The disk 80 being in direct metallic contact with cam 38 will also energize the pilot lamp in the handle in this particular device. The current to the fan motor of the heater must, however, pass through coil 15 except when such coil is cut out by engagement of contact 630 with the contact 63 of the bi-metallic bar 60. Thus, the motor operates at slow speed, by reason of the resistance 15, un-' less the car body or other enclosure in which the mechanism is operated cools off below the temperature for which the cam is adjusted. When thermostat, to define extreme positions thereof the temperature falls to this predetermined minimum the contact 63 will be moved by the ther--\ mostatic bar into engagement with contact 630 to short-circuit coil 15, thus subjecting the motor 66 of the heater-fan to full battery voltage to operate it at high speed until the temperature is raised sufliciently so that bar 60 reopens the contact at 63.

From the foregoing it will be noted that it is broadly immaterial how the heating appliance is controlled, whether by control of the fan which circulates air across the heater, or whether by control of a valve which admits the heating liquid to the radiator, or whether by any one of a number of other possible arrangements.

It is also broadly immaterial whether the heating control is made to operate at full intensity in the first instance and to be reduced in intensity when a desired temperature is reached, or whether the converse hook-up is employed.

In each of the various constructions disclosed, howeverjit will be observed that I have combined a switching mechanism with a thermostatic control mechanism, subject to manipulation by a single handle, the-whole device being such as to be adapted for mounting on the instrument panel of a motor vehicle and particularly designed to control the heating of such a vehicle.

The provision of a dielectric stop engaged by the thermostatic element to define its extreme position when cold, no matter how low the temperature may drop, not only protects the device against waste of battery current when the car is left in the cold, but also permits the cam operated spring arm to function as a switch, the arrangement in each case being such that when such arm is engaged with the flattened portion of the cam it is definitely removed from the possibility of contact with the thermostat in the extreme position of the thermostat defined by said stop.

I claim:

i. In a device of the character described, the

combination with a rotor provided with a cam having a peripheral surface of variable radius and provided adjacent said cam with a dielectric disk constituting a stop projecting beyond said radius, a bracket, a thermostat mounted on said bracket and having a free contact portion engageable with said stop to define an extreme position, said thermostat being movable from said sition upon an increase in temperature, and means for manually rotating the periphery of said cam in a direction to advance the radius of said cam toward said thermostat, and contact means engageable with the thermostat and from which the thermostat is disengageable upon its movement from said stop.

2. The combination with a plurality of arms,

each provided with free end portions having contacts, one of said arms constituting a thermostat, of dielectric means providing stops limiting the movement of two of said arms, including said with their respective contacts in mutually spaced I relation, cam means defining a position of another of said arms, said last mentioned arm being biased for engagement with the cam means and said cam means having one portion engageable "with said last mentioned arm to define a position in which the contact of the last arm is spaced from the contact of the adjacent arm, and a handle in operative connection with said cam means for the movement thereof in a direction to engage the contact of the last arm with the contact of the next adjacent arm and to engage the contact of the next adjacent arm with another contact of a successively adjacent arm, said thermostat being operatively connected to break certain of said contacts upon movement from said stop upon an increase in temperature.

ROBERT K. WINNING. 

